The modern casino is more like an indoor amusement park than a gambling establishment, but the billions of dollars in profits raked in by casinos each year would not exist without games of chance. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and other games that are based on luck, rather than skill, contribute the most to casino profits.
Gambling has long been a part of human society, but it took many years for the casino industry to develop into what it is today. Originally, it was the money that drove the development of casinos, and that money helped them become popular destinations for vacations and weekend getaways. However, the dark side of the casino business, as well as the damage caused by compulsive gambling, often outweigh any economic benefits they bring to a community.
A casino earns its profit by taking a percentage of all bets placed. This advantage can be very small, lower than two percent, but it adds up over time and millions of bets. Casinos are also able to invest in lavish facilities, such as musical shows, lighted fountains and replicas of famous pyramids and towers.
Some of the money that a casino takes in is given back to players as comps, or complimentary goods and services. A casino may offer free hotel rooms, meals, drinks and tickets to shows for big spenders. This is a way to encourage patrons to return and to build brand loyalty. A person who receives a lot of comps from a casino is considered to be a good player.
Casinos earn money through a variety of ways, including the vig (or rake), table games, slot machines and video poker. Slots are the biggest moneymakers, bringing in over 60 percent of the total casino income. Craps and other table games attract bigger bettors, but they only bring in about 1 percent of the profits.
Most casino employees have a vested interest in the integrity of their employer, so they watch out for cheating. Dealers are trained to spot blatant attempts at card or dice manipulation, and pit bosses and table managers have a wider view of their tables and can keep an eye out for patterns in betting. Casinos may also hire outside security companies to monitor their facilities.
As the casino business developed, mob money began to flow into Reno and Las Vegas, but these mobsters were not content with just financing the growth of the industry. They became personally involved, taking sole or partial ownership of some casinos and exerting influence over the outcome of certain games. This taint on the reputation of casinos led legitimate businessmen to avoid them. However, when large investment banks realized how profitable they could be, they bought out the mob and established their own casino empires.